The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change
This study analyses the water temperature changes in Lake Banyoles over the past four decades. Lake Banyoles, Spain’s second highest lake, situated in the western Mediterranean (NE Iberian Peninsula). Over the past 44 years, the warming trend of the lake’s surface waters (0.52 °C decade<sup>−1...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/6/1621 |
| _version_ | 1797565951637454848 |
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| author | Teresa Serra Josep Pascual Ramon Brunet Jordi Colomer |
| author_facet | Teresa Serra Josep Pascual Ramon Brunet Jordi Colomer |
| author_sort | Teresa Serra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study analyses the water temperature changes in Lake Banyoles over the past four decades. Lake Banyoles, Spain’s second highest lake, situated in the western Mediterranean (NE Iberian Peninsula). Over the past 44 years, the warming trend of the lake’s surface waters (0.52 °C decade<sup>−1</sup>) and the cooling trend of its deep waters (−0.66 °C decade<sup>−1</sup>) during summer (July–September) have resulted in an increased degree of stratification. Furthermore, the stratification period is currently double that of the 1970s. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, lake surface turbidity has remained constant in summer. Although turbidity did decrease during winter, it still remained higher than in the summer months. This reduction in turbidity is likely associated with the decrease in groundwater input into the lake, which has been caused by a significant decrease in rainfall in the aquifer recharge area that feeds the lake through groundwater sources. As a unique freshwater sentinel lake under the influence of the climate change, Lake Banyoles provides evidence that global warming in the western Mediterranean boosts the strength and duration of the lake’s stratification and, in response, the associated decrease in the turbidity of its epilimnion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:20:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8ce47b15e5c426f9b356b5aa1f09d7e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:20:06Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8ce47b15e5c426f9b356b5aa1f09d7e2023-11-20T03:03:21ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412020-06-01126162110.3390/w12061621The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate ChangeTeresa Serra0Josep Pascual1Ramon Brunet2Jordi Colomer3Department of Physics, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, SpainInstitut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, SpainWater Quality Department, Aigües de Banyoles, 17820 Banyoles, SpainDepartment of Physics, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, SpainThis study analyses the water temperature changes in Lake Banyoles over the past four decades. Lake Banyoles, Spain’s second highest lake, situated in the western Mediterranean (NE Iberian Peninsula). Over the past 44 years, the warming trend of the lake’s surface waters (0.52 °C decade<sup>−1</sup>) and the cooling trend of its deep waters (−0.66 °C decade<sup>−1</sup>) during summer (July–September) have resulted in an increased degree of stratification. Furthermore, the stratification period is currently double that of the 1970s. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, lake surface turbidity has remained constant in summer. Although turbidity did decrease during winter, it still remained higher than in the summer months. This reduction in turbidity is likely associated with the decrease in groundwater input into the lake, which has been caused by a significant decrease in rainfall in the aquifer recharge area that feeds the lake through groundwater sources. As a unique freshwater sentinel lake under the influence of the climate change, Lake Banyoles provides evidence that global warming in the western Mediterranean boosts the strength and duration of the lake’s stratification and, in response, the associated decrease in the turbidity of its epilimnion.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/6/1621climate changeturbiditylake mixing regimehydrothermal turbid plumesrainfall |
| spellingShingle | Teresa Serra Josep Pascual Ramon Brunet Jordi Colomer The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change Water climate change turbidity lake mixing regime hydrothermal turbid plumes rainfall |
| title | The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change |
| title_full | The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change |
| title_fullStr | The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change |
| title_short | The Mixing Regime and Turbidity of Lake Banyoles (NE Spain): Response to Climate Change |
| title_sort | mixing regime and turbidity of lake banyoles ne spain response to climate change |
| topic | climate change turbidity lake mixing regime hydrothermal turbid plumes rainfall |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/6/1621 |
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